CASE REPORT
Two cases of cervical abscess in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Masahide Kaji1 , Shinjiro Kaieda1, Katsuichiro Tanaka1, Ryusuke Ayukawa1, Takaaki Fukuda1, Kazuyuki Kojima2 and Hisamichi Aizawa3
| (1) |
Center for Rheumatic Disease, Kurume University Medical Center, 155-1 Kokubumachi, Kurume 839-0863, Japan |
| (2) |
Department of Radiology, Kurume University Medical Center, Kurume, Japan |
| (3) |
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University of Medicine, Kurume, Japan |
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Abstract The prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has recently been improved, resulting in longer survival of patients. The incidence of oral diseases increases with age, particularly for periodontal disease and those involving tooth decay, even in normal healthy individuals. Patients with RA display increased incidence of oral diseases, and the use of steroids or methotrexate to treat RA increases susceptibility to infections, sometimes causing serious infections. We present here two cases of cervical abscesses in RA patients who underwent emergency surgery to treat oral infections due to the possibility of mediastinal inflammation.
Key words Abscess - Elderly patient - Intraoral infection - Opportunistic infection - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) |
